"I bet you've had a quiet week, haven't you?" Yeah, you could say that.

That was the tongue-in-cheek question posed by most in the Ewood Park media room after what has been a week like no other. Fans, players, staff and media have certainly been kept on their toes by Blackburn Rovers.

That all culminated in John Eustace being announced as head coach at 6pm on Friday night. Though it wasn't the start of his era on Saturday, it was the start of a new chapter; life after Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Eustace spent a few hours with the coaching time at the Brockhall Senior Training Centre on Friday and met the players on Saturday morning. It's impossible to judge how much of the tactical switch was a proxy of what Rovers might look like moving forward but he certainly had an influence on the result.

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The 44-year-old spent the first half watching from above, a bird's eye view, and the players had an extra spring in their step, keen to impress. I'd imagine for most it is subconscious but everyone's levels raise a little when there is a new boss to impress, in any industry.

What the awaiting Rovers head coach will have seen is a group that are ready to learn and be moulded. Under Tomasson, it was totally football. Heavy possession, few touches and an emphasis on control.

That style had a very high ceiling. At its best, it had them competing with the best in the Championship. At its worst, it had them sleeping walking into a relegation battle.

Against Stoke, Rovers went back to basics. Horses for courses. Substance over style. Whatever you want to call it, it was bloody effective.

Within 20 minutes, they had complete control at Ewood Park, leading 2-0 thanks to Tyrhys Dolan and Sam Szmodics. Both goals came from crosses, which were perhaps swung in with a little more freedom than seven days ago.

Callum Brittain was the creator, first delivering an inch-perfect cross for Dolan to sweep home, before his back-post delivery found Ryan Hedges, who intelligently sent it back into the middle for Szmodics to head home.

Rovers hadn't spent much time on the ball. The game plan was quite similar to that which resulted in a 3-0 win in the Potteries last November. They sat deep, stayed compact and counter-attack with Gallagher, Dolan and Szmodics as three red arrows, ready to shoot off at any moment.

Instead of playing from the back and holding possession in midfield, Rovers were far more direct. That doesn't mean playing long, aimless balls, but getting the ball forward quicker. 

That played to Rovers' strengths. Gallagher worked tirelessly and provided the focal point, with Dolan and Szmodics ratting around him and proving evasive for the Stoke defence and midfield.

If you look at the goals, the speed in which Rovers get the ball from front to back is far quicker than you'd have expected under Tomasson. That's pragmatism, especially when you haven't won for a while.

The third, in particular, would never have happened. A long goal-kick, flicked on by Gallagher and calmly finished by Dolan. Mike Bassett would've been proud.

In fairness to Tomasson, it's fair to wonder whether Rovers' season would've panned out differently had those two been fit for its entirety.

As per Rich Sharpe, formerly of this parish, Rovers have picked up 28 of their 36 points in the 16 games Dolan has started this season. After a difficult start, he was just hitting his stride when he picked up that knee injury.

Throughout his Ewood Park career, the numbers show Gallagher's influence too. He may not score 15 goals a season, or play every minute of each match, but they're a far better, and more productive side, with him in it.

Hedges was another back after a long time away. His return, coupled with debutant Kyle McFadzean, Gallagher and Brittain gave Rovers an average age of around 26, far higher than it has been for most of the season.

That proved important in the second half, where they had to grind it out. After Niall Ennis pulled one back, Stoke were the better side. Had Aynsley Pears not kept out Daniel Johnson's penalty, it could have been a different story. It was a crucial moment of the match and credit to Pears, who hasn't put a foot wrong since returning in goal.

Although Rovers weren't great, and will need to look after the ball better moving forward, they ground out the result. McFadzean ended the game as a Terry Butcher look-a-like, underlying the warrior-like attributes he will bring to the squad.

At full-time, they were greeted with bare hugs and high-fives by Eustace, who made his way down to the technical area. He took over in the second half and was barking orders, cajoling his team and guiding them through the game. It's very early days but it's clear he is going to be very hands-on.

With such an important run of fixtures ahead, this result does bide Eustace some breathing space. Rovers have a seven-point buffer to the bottom three now and these three points release some of the pressure that had built over recent week.

Fans got behind the team and Ewood Park was noticeably more engaged. The behind-the-scenes issues don't suddenly go away; there were still chants against Venky's and Chief Executive Steve Waggott, but three points was like somebody unplugging the bath after a tumultuous week.

Whilst the bigger, long-term questions still remain over the governance and funding of Blackburn Rovers, this was a big relief to everyone connected with the club. Players will go home happier, staff can let their shoulders slouch for one night at least.

We will get a better idea of Eustace's plans for this squad when he meets the media on Monday. With so many games coming thick and fast, it won't be long before he's sick of the sight of us.

His first assignment was scripted; a return to St Andrew's. That will be important for his pride as well as getting off to the right start at Blackburn Rovers.

Saturday was all about three points. The rest? Well, that can wait until Monday.